Fullerton Observer: Spotlighting some of the OC Cookie Dads and Male Volunteers Supporting Girl Scouts
March 19, 2024
BY MARIA SOLIS
It’s Girl Scout Cookie Season in Orange County, with over 7,000 Girl Scouts actively selling classic favorites. The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-led business in the world, and this year, Girl Scout Entrepreneurs in Orange County hope to sell over 2 million packages. They’re hard at work with the help of an amazing support system, including many Orange County dads and male volunteers who step up and take an active role in the Girl Scout experience. Here’s a spotlight on just some of the men involved in the 2024 Girl Scout cookie season:
When his daughters are doing cookie booth sales, Fullerton resident Mark Freeman is there to support them. They’re his priority. Freeman takes the lead on everything related to cookie sales with 9-year-old Sydney and 6-year-old Riley. It turns out that their cookie booth attracts a lot of buyers and gets a lot of attention because of the standout, colorful booth, which was hand-built by the former cabinet maker and his daughters. Freeman crafted the cookie booth in January of 2022 from plywood and one-by-fours as a fun dad/daughter project. This is the 3rd cookie season the booth is being used, and this dad is thrilled to be supporting his little entrepreneurs. “Anytime you can get kids off screens, there is value there. It’s time to be with my daughters. I always love that time. I value the Girl Scouts program and its resources, helping make the girls better, well-rounded adults.”
Lake Forest resident Tony Wai is experiencing his first cookie booth sales this year alongside his 4-year-old daughter Jillian, a Girl Scout Daisy. After researching a good leadership development program, Wai signed his youngest up for Girl Scouts a few months ago. He’s thrilled Jillian is already learning to count money, which is just one of the five skills Girl Scouts learn when participating in the cookie program. Wai knows his side-by-side involvement in his daughter’s Girl Scout experience benefits Jillian. “Most of the time, you see Moms with Girl Scouts. When Fathers are involved, there is a big impact as well. Their daughters get a boost in confidence, and they feel safe and supported.”
Cypress resident Tom O’Neill, a dedicated Girl Scout volunteer, is helping Girl Scouts of Orange County run one of its key cookie distribution cupboards in Cypress. O’Neill is a long-time supporter of Girl Scouts… going on 45 years. His daughter, Kathleen, was a Girl Scout, and although she is now a Girl Scout alum, that hasn’t stopped 78-year-old O’Neill from helping GSOC. He is lovingly called the “Warehouse Man” because of his critically important, behind-the-scenes work maintaining and updating the inventory management system and distributing the cookies. “It’s an opportunity to give back. When I see a Daisy or a Brownie with mom come to pick up cookies, it makes me feel good all over.”
Vikki Shepp, Ed.D., Girl Scouts of Orange County’s CEO, said, “Girl Scouts of Orange County serves nearly 15,000 girls, and it takes a village of people to support the important work we do. We are a female-oriented organization, but we encourage men’s participation and involvement as positive role models. Not only are they, in most cases, strengthening the parent-child relationship, they help make the world a better, more inclusive place.”
All proceeds from the cookie sales stay with local councils and troops to power amazing experiences year-round for Girl Scouts. With every sale, these young entrepreneurs can unbox a more equitable, barrier-breaking, out-of-this-world fun future while learning critical entrepreneurial skills: Goal Setting, Money Management, Decision-Making, Business Ethics, and People Skills.
How to buy Girl Scout Cookies:
- Order in person or online through your favorite Girl Scout. Tell her you are interested in buying cookies, and she will take it from there!
- Find a local Cookie Booth: Simply enter your ZIP Code in the “Find Cookies!” tool to get dates and locations for Girl Scout Cookie booth sales in Orange County. FIND COOKIES
- Do not know a Girl Scout? No Problem. Contact us at http://www.cookiesoc.org, and we will help connect you with a local Girl Scout.
